5 books Donald Trump might have read - or not
July 22, 2016
When he was asked if he wanted to write Trump's autobiography, Tony Schwartz knew it was a Faustian offer.
On one hand, the journalist despised the values of the businessman - then 38 years old in 1984 - and knew very well that working as a ghostwriter would damage his reputation as a reporter.
On the other hand, the financial terms were so generous that Schwartz felt he couldn't refuse so much money for his growing family. So he accepted, and wrote the 1987 best-seller, "The Art of the Deal."
This book established Trump's image of a bragging but charismatic deal-breaker. Its success led him to star in the reality TV show "The Apprentice," from 2004 to 2015. From there, he moved on to trying to become the president of the United States.
Schwartz incredibly regrets writing the book, especially now that this is an actual possibility.
"I genuinely believe that if Trump wins and gets the nuclear codes, there is an excellent possibility it will lead to the end of civilization," Schwartz told "The New Yorker," where he recently discussed the whole writing process of "The Art of the Deal" and what he learned about Trump while preparing the book.
'No attention span'
When Schwartz and Trump first sat down to work on "The Art of the Deal," the journalist was confronted with a major problem: He realized that Trump couldn't concentrate long enough for an in-depth interview on his early years. One of Trump's main attributes, Schwartz said, is that "he has no attention span."
As an alternative, they both decided that Schwartz would follow Trump everywhere and listen into all of his phone calls for the next 18 months.
Obama and Bush read tons of books
That's how Schwartz could come to the conclusion that Donald Trump never reads. Trump has blamed his busy schedule for this lack - something many people can sympathize with - yet the two most recent US Presidents have managed to find time for more novels than most people read.
Obama releases his reading lists every time he goes on holidays. Karl Rove, who used to be George W. Bush's senior adviser, has said they both spent years doing book-reading contests.